1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to holding and release means for use in various machines which perform various types of operations, such as testing machines for testing automobile safety seat belts, and the like. The invention is particularly concerned with a static free magnetic holding and release means which functions to hold a movable slide member in a first position and then releases the movable slide member to permit it to be moved to a second position by a pre-load or biasing means without any hesitation in the releasing action, and without any injurious drag or friction which might produce vibrations and other unwanted effects in the machine in which the holding and release means is being used, as for example in the apparatuses employed with the machine for taking various readings, such as oscilloscope readings in automobile safety seat belt testing machines.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known in the testing machine art to provide machines for testing automobile safety seat belts wherein the free end of the seat belt is releasably secured and the seat belt retractor is mounted on a movable slide member which is held in a first position by a holding and release means and then moved to a second position by a pre-load or biasing means when the movable slide member is released. The disadvantage of the prior art holding and release means employed in such seat belt testing machines is that they employed mechanical release means which provide a drag or friction, which creates vibrations that injuriously affect the readings on various testing apparatuses employed with the seat belt testing machines, as for example, readings on an oscilloscope. A further disadvantage of the prior art mechanical release means is that the friction produced by the release action of the mechanical means produces not only vibrations but sounds which also affect the readings of instruments employed with a seat belt testing machine.